Job opportunities for a non-japanese doctor

[JoRuDeNnA]

My mom has a japanese friend and she told us that non-japanese doctors cant get a job in Japan and that hopsitals wont let a gaijin doctor take care of the patients because of being a foreigner....so i was wondering if anyone knows if this is 100% true or give your oppinios or knowledge in the subject. In my personal opinion (which is not much since I dont know much abput japanese culture) there might be some places where patients might not want a foreign doctor to treat them...but still I dont want to believe that there is like a strict rule and non-japanese doctors cant have a job in Japan.

[Mike Cash]

I remember very clearly seeing on Japanese television a story about a medical doctor from South America working in Japan.....as a factory worker.

Japan can be quite restrictive regarding employment of foreigners.

(And the image in your signature is highly annoying, by the way)

[JoRuDeNnA]

Originally Posted by Mike Cash

I remember very clearly seeing on Japanese television a story about a medical doctor from South America working in Japan.....as a factory worker.
Japan can be quite restrictive regarding employment of foreigners.
(And the image in your signature is highly annoying, by the way)

Thanks for the info and sorry about my annoying sig. ill change it

[Mike Cash]

You're welcome for the info, and no apology is necessary.

(The new image is attractive and very well done.)

[JoRuDeNnA]

Originally Posted by Mike Cash

You're welcome for the info, and no apology is necessary.

(The new image is attractive and very well done.)

Thanks!!!^^

[Mike Cash]

To clarify a bit....

The only thing that would prevent a foreign doctor from working in a Japanese hospital is that the doctor would need to pass the same licensing exams as Japanese doctors....in Japanese.

There have been non-Japanese who have done this, but it isn't common.

[JoRuDeNnA]

Originally Posted by Mike Cash

To clarify a bit....

The only thing that would prevent a foreign doctor from working in a Japanese hospital is that the doctor would need to pass the same licensing exams as Japanese doctors....in Japanese.

There have been non-Japanese who have done this, but it isn't common.

OHH ok...I bet it isnt common...because medical school is quite hard and the terminology even in a mother language is quite difficult...but I really couldnt belive japanese hospitals had such stirct rules...thanks for clarifing your point

[epigene]

Originally Posted by JoRuDeNnA

OHH ok...I bet it isnt common...because medical school is quite hard and the terminology even in a mother language is quite difficult...but I really couldnt belive japanese hospitals had such stirct rules...thanks for clarifing your point

It is true, but the rules are basically the same for other countries, I think, especially the US.

Foreign-educated doctors must pass US licensing examinations and prove English competence with English language proficiency examination. There are, in fact, immigrants in the US who were trained as doctors in their home countries but have taken up other jobs because of the requirements.

The problem with Japan is that there are still very few doctors with adequate Japanese language competence to pass the exams, compared to those who speak English, which is more widely spoken in the world.

Just my two cents...

[changedonrequest]

My mom has a japanese friend and she told us that non-japanese doctors cant get a job in Japan and that hopsitals wont let a gaijin doctor take care of the patients because of being a foreigner....so i was wondering if anyone knows if this is 100% true or give your oppinios or knowledge in the subject. In my personal opinion (which is not much since I dont know much abput japanese culture) there might be some places where patients might not want a foreign doctor to treat them...but still I dont want to believe that there is like a strict rule and non-japanese doctors cant have a job in Japan.

No it isn't 100% true, I personally know of at least 3 M.D.'s and I am pretty sure there are more. There are foreign doctors here.

When my wife was pregnant with one of our kids her primary care doctor, an ob/gyn specialist, was an American. The Internal Medicine MD at the same hospital was American and there were a number of dentists that were American.

[JoRuDeNnA]

Thanks for the info. Im in medical school so I can understand how difficult it is...I speak english since I was little and still I find it very difficult to understand clinical cases and to make a diagnosis; Im also studing japanese and I find it not difficult but complex and obviously very different from english or spanish so I really can imagine how hard it would be to pass the licensing examinations if they are in another language

[Mike Cash]

Originally Posted by Hachiro

No it isn't 100% true, I personally know of at least 3 M.D.'s and I am pretty sure there are more.

Next time you get a chance, could you perhaps ask one of them for a brief rundown on the matter and share it with us?

[changedonrequest]

It has been a while since I have seen any of them as my son is now 7. I haven't been back to that hospital for quite a few years now.

However if anything comes up I will try to remember to ask. I also know of "zainichi kankoku jin" who are MD's here, except I dont think that that would really count as a "foreign" doctor.